Stephany Writes

Categories: Healthy Living

Fit Fridays: Back to the Basics

Back in March, I started this series and it only lasted 2 weeks. I’m still not totally sure I’m up for doing a series on my weight loss (or lack thereof), but I also think this is a great avenue for me to talk through my weight issues and get some feedback.

I thought about not telling anyone, aside from real-life friends, about my weight loss goals. I wanted to keep it a secret, something private for me to succeed at without worrying about disappointing my readers. But I quickly scrapped that plan because I do need the support I find from this blog. You guys motivate me, cheer me on, and help me get back on my feet when I fall down. I love you guys. A lot. (But not in a creepy, stalker kind of way.)

So here I am. Crawling back to this blog to talk about my weight loss struggles and how far I’ve fallen after doing so well for a few months.

The last time I attended a Weight Watchers meeting was June 27. Since then, I haven’t been at my healthiest. I haven’t been tracking what I’ve eaten. I have consumed a lot of fast food. Soda has been my drink of choice and water has been my last resort. I haven’t exercised as much as I ought to, whether due to injury or just plain laziness. In short, I’ve been bad.

And while this is nothing new, I’m ready to start over. Just like earlier this year, I’m not going to focus on my past failed attempts. This is a new beginning for me. And I’m going to treat it as such. It’s not easy to change 20-some years of unhealthy behaviors. And since I’m incredibly stubborn, it’s going to take me a long time to get it through my thick head that healthy is the best way. (Even if unhealthy tastes better at the moment.)

Onto my weight for this week and my goals. (In all honesty, I was happy with my weight because I was hoping for only 5 pounds. Remember, I’ve been bad.)

Weight
Starting Weight (as of February 21, 2010): 151.2 lbs
Current Weight (as of August 5, 2010): 147.8 lbs
Total Weight Lost: 3.4 lbs

Goals
1. Drink 48oz of water, daily.
2. Exercise at least 4 times a week.
3. Eat every 2 hours. (I find myself getting hungry but sometimes make myself wait 4-5 hours before I eat again and I end up eating too much and never feeling totally full. I’m hoping this helps.)

Categories: Healthy Living

Perspective

If this ankle injury has given me anything, it’s given me a lot of perspective.

I’m not a lover of exercise. As much as I talk about how good it is for you, how it aids in your heart health and overall well-being, I drag myself kicking and screaming to the gym or on a run. While I feel pretty awesome after I exercise, I’m not entirely sure if it’s to do to the exercise or just being done.

On Wednesday morning, I was not happy about running. I had 2 miles scheduled and was nervous as heck that I wouldn’t be able to complete it. My previous one was pretty awful and honestly, I was in vacation mode. I just wanted to be in Orlando.

But when I fell and realized my ankle was badly injured, my first thought was, “Oh, my God. What does this mean for my half-training?” (OK, OK. I’ll be honest. My first thought was really: “Crap! What am I going to do about Disney World?!”) Later on, thoughts began to flood my mind of how long I should stay off it and how this will cut into my half-marathon training.

The thought of not being able to exercise, compared to not wanting to exercise, made me stop and think. How often do we take our ability to move, to run, to bike, to swim freely? I know I’m guilty of moaning and groaning about having no motivation to work out. I have taken my ability for granted.

There are so many people who don’t have the ability to exercise. My grandma sometimes finds it hard to walk from her bedroom to her chair in the living room because she is so sick and weak from chemo. On her good days, she can wash the dishes before she becomes too weak and has to take a nap. I remember how long it took my mom to recover from her surgery two years ago. While she bounced back rather quickly, it was still a very long time before she felt comfortable going for a run.

Yet I have the ability. I have the energy and the stamina to endure a pretty physical workout. But I complain. Whine. Moan. Groan. Make excuses.

I’m still hopeful I’ll be able to run on Saturday. My ankle still hurts on occasion, but it’s nowhere near as painful as it was a week ago. And if I can get out there and just run, I will be happy. I’ll be happy because my body is working properly. It’s doing what it was designed to do. And I will be grateful for each pound of the pavement.

Categories: Healthy Living

Review: The 30-Day Shred

Well, guys. I did it. I made a goal and stuck with it until the end. Even on the days I was exhausted, I did it. For 30 days straight, I had a date with Jillian Michaels, whether or not I liked it. I’m actually pretty surprised I completed this because I’m not the best at month-long challenges, especially regarding my health.

Let me just say that I totally recommend this workout for anyone, even if you don’t exercise a lot. You don’t have to do it for 30 days straight like I did, but it’s an insanely good workout for anyone. In each level, she increases the intensity, switches up which muscles we’re using, and you begin to feel your body change and become stronger.

I did Level 1 for the first 10 days and then switched over to Level 2 for the next 10 days, finishing up my last 10 days on Level 3. While I loved the new routines on Days 1/2, I began to dread this workout by Day 7. It got very repetitive, especially doing the same exact routine for a week straight! I’m a girl who needs variety when exercising so this was tough for me.

While I’ll be happy for this DVD to now cover itself in dust, I’m so happy I did this challenge. Not only did I show myself that I have the focus and determination to complete a challenge of this caliber, I also showed myself how strong I really am. I couldn’t do every move in the high intensity, but when I was able to, it made me feel awesome.

And now I have a whole bunch of new moves to add in to the strength-training program I’m developing for my mom and me. I love how she managed to hit just about every muscle in your body. And a big plus? I CAN SEE MY ABS! I can’t see a six-pack (or even a two-pack), but there’s a definite definition in my stomach where my abs will someday be.

Now, let’s talk about results. (Insert eye roll.) Weight-wise, I did horribly. I’ve been up and down all month and can’t seem to get over this 145-lb hump. All in all, I gained half a pound this month. And I know the whole “muscle weighs more than fat” argument, but seriously, I should have lost some of this fat, ya think? I’ll deal with my muscles when I don’t worry about people asking me if I’m pregnant, capisce?

Luckily, I did manage to lose some inches this month. Here’s the rundown:

Arms: No change. At all. None. Zero. Zip. Zilch. Nada. (A.K.A. BOO!)
Thighs: Lost 1 inch. (YAY!)
Upper waist: Lost 1 inch. (Abs, baby!)
Lower waist: Lost 1.5 inches
Hips: Lost half an inch (Seriously? Seriously?!)
I’m just have to keep on pushing and challenging myself. I know I haven’t been perfect at eating this month so I want to really get focused with that in June, as well as doing more intense exercises.*I’m starting my media fast tomorrow morning, but I do have one post scheduled for later in the week. So be on the lookout for that!
Categories: Healthy Living

My First “Big Girl” Race

I love how exhilarating running in a race can be. The atmosphere is just so different than running at any other time. Nothing can compare to the excitement, nerves, and crossing that finish line. It just makes you want to do it again and again.

I had my 5K on Saturday and it felt like my first “big girl” race where pictures were taken and I had to clip a tracking badge to my shoe to receive my official time. The only other time I’ve raced was with the Turkey Trot which is very low-key and no official times are posted. Here’s the run-down:

4:30am: Alarm wakes me up

And I’m not happy about it. I let myself “sleep” through one snooze and then force myself up and attem. I take Dutch out, get ready, and then sit on the couch, looking at the race papers. I don’t eat breakfast because a) I’m so not a breakfast girl and b) I’m way too nervous to eat!

5:15am: We leave

The race is in Clearwater Beach, which is about 30 minutes from us. Plus, if we get there early enough, we can get free parking. And we’re all about that!

5:50am: Arrive at Pier 60

We find a free parking space. And then sit in nervous anticipation for the next hour. I read a little, we get out to use the restroom and freeze our tooshes off, and then I prepare for the race by pinning my number on and attaching my tag to my shoe. Butterflies are making babies in my stomach.

7:00am: Make our way to the starting line

One cool thing about this race was that the 5Kers and 15Kers run together, until a turn-off where the 5Kers leave. I’ve only run in the Turkey Trot before where all three races start at different times and in different places. So it was cool to be able to stay there with my mom before the race began.

There’s really nothing that can compare to race day and standing in the crowd of all those people who are active and fit, and even those who aren’t yet at a fit level but are changing their lives in amazing ways to become active and fit. It really pumped me up, especially since it was an Iron Girl race and it was all women! Talk about some major girl power!

While we waited there, an announcer was talking and pumping everyone up. Periodically, he would talk about one of the runner’s who had signed up. (When you registered for the race, you put a short statement about why you were running in this race.) I really wanted him to mentioned my mom because, hello, she’s lost 80 pounds and is a Serious Runner now. But then he mentioned a lady who had lost 150 pounds and another one who had lost 135 pounds. Simply crazy weight loss stories! And then, around 7:20ish, he said my name! And my reason for being there! I was shocked and may have even shed a few tears! My reason for running the race was because of my mom. She has inspired me in so many ways, least of all getting fit and becoming a pseudo-runner. That 30-seconds of fame was unbelievable!

7:25am: Minutes away

Once 7:25am hit, the butterflies were going crazy. I was so nervous! I was nervous about just starting out. I was nervous about being able to even run a mile. I was nervous about shin splints. I was nervous about cramping up. So I turned on a little Don’t Stop Believing by Glee. Seriously, it’s the best song to pump you up! I was ready.

7:35am: Race begins

Mile One – Running

My goal was to run my first mile, walk my second mile, and run my last mile. And I did manage to run the first mile. It hurt a lot. I wanted to stop so many times but I found the strength to keep pushing until I saw the first mile marker, no matter how bad the first hill hurt my calves or how many runners passed me. I was running this race for me, not to win any medals. I still had to keep telling myself to not worry about the other racers.

It was very, very hard to run that first mile. I was so close to giving up when I saw the Mile 1 marker. Then, I got a little cocky and thought I could keep running the whole thing.

Mile Two – Walking/Running

About 20 steps into Mile 2, I knew it was stupid to keep running. For one thing, I didn’t want to ruin my shins. They were feeling OK and I didn’t want pain to start before I began my last mile. So I started walking, which really hurt just as much as running.

I did run three times during this mile. One time when I was coming down a hill because it felt easier than walking it and the other two times were for the cameras. (Stop laughing!) The times I ran were probably less than a minute long, though.

I swear this mile felt so incredibly long! During the mile, I had to walk up a bridge. Luckily, I only had to walk up part of it and not the whole thing. My mom, on the other hand, had to run up the whole thing TWICE! Do you see that incline? That’s just nuts!

Mile Three – Walking/Running

Once I hit Mile 3, I knew I had to run. So I did. I started running, except the bottom of my foot, near my toes, was numb. Numb! It felt as if it had fallen asleep but tell me, how does a foot fall asleep during a 5K race? I don’t understand it! I kept running but then my entire foot fell asleep and it gradually moved up towards my ankle. One would think that running would shake a foot from slumber but alas, it just made my entire leg fall into a deep sleep. Honestly, it felt as if I were running on a stump.

Also in Mile Three was The Most Annoying Runner In The History of The World. I was running and she was walking/running. Every time I passed her, she would run ahead, get in front of me, and then start walking. She did this six times and it felt so deliberate that by the sixth time, I ran as close as I could to her and then got right in front of her. I think she got the message because the next time she ran, she was on the other side of the road.

I ended up walking for some of Mile 3 because I didn’t think it was safe to run on a foot that’s fallen asleep. I couldn’t feel that leg at all! I probably ran 3/4 of it and walked the rest. I did end up running for the last leg of it and zoomed my way to the finish line. I was happy to be done, but not too happy with the race itself. If only my foot hadn’t fallen asleep!

My final time? 44:54. I’m not happy at all about it but it gives me a lot to work toward. My mom ran her 15K in 1:54, which was awesome for her. She wanted to do it in under 2 hours and she did it! I was so incredibly proud of her and inspired by her accomplishments. It’s amazing all she has achieved in these past few years. We’re planning on another 5K on Mother’s Day to run together. It’ll give me about a month to get in better shape and I’ll be farther along in the Couch-to-5K program by then.

In any event, it was a great experience and makes me want to keep running and training to get better. I’m hoping to compete in one race a month which will keep me on the consistent exercise path!

Categories: Healthy Living

Month 1

I still can’t quite believe it. I look at the numbers and my heart flutters. A smile grows big on my face. I feel proud.

During my first month of Weight Watchers, my first-ever successful month where I lost consistently, I lost 6 pounds. Considering it took me 3 months in Summer 2007 to lose 15 pounds, this is a major accomplishment. I can’t believe I’m just 4 pounds away from losing 10 pounds – a milestone in any weight-loss journey.

I can’t say I feel any different. My clothes don’t feel looser and I don’t have any more energy than before. But I do feel more in control. I know I wrote about it before but I can’t stress it enough! After my success in 2007 and later setback, I tried Weight Watchers again and again, always quitting after a few weeks. I found it so hard to stay committed to the program. I never tracked, cheated as often as I could, and barely ever hit the gym.

It’s funny how busy I am now, but I find it easier to stay on the program. I’m still finding time, five days a week, to exercise. I’m tracking every morsel of food I put in my mouth. I’m measuring out everything I eat. And as rollercoaster as my emotions have been over the past week, I haven’t looked at food as a way to help me with my emotions. (Although my mom did offer to take me out to ice cream after I had a meltdown on Friday. ENABLER!)

I’m really pleased with my success. I know it’s not always going to be this easy. In fact, there is a lady in my meeting who has been stuck at 20 lbs since MAY. In the past month, she’s lost 5 lbs. I couldn’t imagine being on a plateau for that long and still sticking with it. That, my friends, is dedication.

Although I never really sat down and wrote out goals for my first month, I knew there were 3 things I wanted to get accomplished: tracking, exercise, and water. I just wanted to ease into this month and lose some weight. I wanted to track what I ate, exercise at least 3 times a week, and drink more water. And I did all that. And now I want to set some new goals for my second month so I can keep losing and keep this weight loss thing interesting.

This month, one of my big goals is to start strength-training. I always tell myself I don’t have enough time but I’m really going to try to make time twice a week to do this. Strength-training is one of my favorite ways to exercise and I already have loads and loads of different moves from my Shape magazines. I just need to implement some type of program and find a time of day to do these. Plus, it’s really going to help with my weight loss!

Another goal of mine this month is to stop counting my exercise points as extra points. With Weight Watchers, we are allowed to do this but we also get 35 extra points a week to do with what we please. My mom hasn’t counted her exercise points for a long time, even though she gets a lot of them! I’m really hoping this will amp up my weight loss. Plus, sometimes I tend to cheat on exercise points. (What?! Two points for 30 minutes on the elliptical? No way…it has to at least be 3!) So I want to stop exercising so much for points as for my health. (Although I’m still not in love with it, but I don’t despise it as much as I used to.)

Lastly, I really need to drink more water. I’m just not a big fan of this tasteless beverage. (And I’ve tried flavored water, which just doesn’t taste right.) I want to drink at least 3 bottles a day, which gives me about 51 ounces a day. And, for me, that is a LOT of water. This will also help cut down my soda habit, something I’m hoping to really get rid of. I hate this addiction I have towards soda. I’m going to start instituting “No Coke Days” once a week, probably on Saturdays. I wanted to start last Saturday but dang it, I have an addiction! It’s so hard to not drink the stuff. I would quit cold turkey but I’ve tried that before and it really messes with my body. (Yes. I’m like an alcoholic. Only with soda. A sodaholic? Do they have support groups for people like me?) And I drink the good stuff, not that diet crap. My screwed-up thinking is that regular soda has a points value (3 points for a 12-ounce can), diet soda does not. The points value keeps me somewhat in check. If I was drinking diet soda, I could have as much as I want for 0 points.

So those are my three goals for next month. I also have a 5K planned for April 10th. I’m nowhere near ready to run the whole thing. I’m shooting to be able to run a mile, walk a mile, and run my last mile. Fingers crossed!